Worth the wait

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Harry Styles’ debut self-titled solo album, released on May 12, has been highly-anticipated by fans. Following the announcement of One Direction’s hiatus in 2015, the band members began to work on launching their solo careers. When Styles announced he was working on a new album, he mentioned creating an album that shared a more raw, vulnerable side of himself. Nonetheless, Styles brings even more to the table with a new album mirroring the sounds of ‘70s rock.

The album’s tracklist includes ten songs. Two of ten songs include his singles “Sign of the Times,” a lengthy but catchy rock song that takes inspiration from Prince and “Sweet Creature,” a contrast to “Sign of the Times” that produces a sound and rhythm similar to “Blackbird” by The Beatles. Introducing two singles with different sounds, I was thrilled when I heard that the rest of the album was full of the same twists and turns.

The album opens with “Meet Me In The Hallway,” a slow, mellow tune with an acoustic guitar strumming in the background, which helped me instantly fall in love with the song. Following “Sign of the Times,” “Carolina” provides an interesting country folk feeling. “Carolina” is so different to anything I have ever heard before, which is why fans, including me, are raving about it. Styles brings back a slow-paced song with “Two Ghosts.” It is my one of favorite songs off the album because it brings me a feeling of nostalgia that perfectly leads into another favorite of mine, “Sweet Creature.”

As the album progresses, “Only Angel” starts off with an ethereal sound, but suddenly picks up with a rock style similar to the next song, “Kiwi.” A transition from the preceding songs, “Ever Since New York,” is a song fans claim to be about Taylor Swift. It reminds me of One Direction’s biggest hits “Stockholm Syndrome” and “Girl Almighty” because of its pop rock feel. Incorporating more of an R&B style “Women” is entirely different to the previous song with its upbeat sound and piercing vocals. Concluding the album, “From the Dining Table,” a song full of pure vocals, creates almost a lullaby with the strumming guitar in the background, which helps bring the entire album together.

Overall, “Harry Styles” will impress listeners who are expecting an album different to what One Direction has released. Styles has succeeded in piecing together diverse sounds by bringing forward a sound/vibe. Whether you like more of rock, indie, or country, “Harry Styles” is an album that will please music listeners who love different genres of music because it truly has it all.